Monday, September 7, 2015

Please note that I am not a monster
truck driver. Nor have I ever been in a monster truck or been to a monster
truck show. That’s the beauty of research. With enough research, you can make
anything realistic and convincing. Donovan Goldwyn, the hero in Hurricane Crimes is a monster truck driver and I had the opportunity to let him do his
thing in Seismic Crimes, which I am still waiting to hear back from my publisher about. FINGERS CROSSED EVERYONE!

I am only going to address three main
things about monster truck driving if you want to write about it:

1. The Truck

If you ever write about a monster
truck, it would be smart to briefly mention the things that make it a MONSTER
truck.

Monster trucks have massive tires,
which are usually Terra tires, and about 4-link suspension to allow four feet
of clearance when the truck moves over mounds and other obstacles. The
supercharged engines (575 cubic inches) live off methanol oil. The driver is
usually positioned in the middle of the cab for full visibility behind a sheet
of Lexan to protect the driver from flying debris. However, it’s not unheard of
for a truck to have two seats. Every truck is equipped with at least three kill
switches for safety precautions. There are also safety harnesses as well as
head and neck restraints, and drivers wear fire suits and helmets. Monster
trucks are used for competitions and entertainment.

TIP: Don’t forget to
mention the design and colors of the truck. People get really creative. You can
even give the truck a name.

2.Arena

Arenas for monster truck driving are
compiled completely of dirt, sometimes even mud in some areas. Small mounds,
large ramps of dirt, and even cars are added to arenas for trucks to jump over
or crush with their giant tires. If there’s a race, you can bet on seeing
lanes, obstacles, and a finish line.

TIP: If your MC goes to a
monster truck show, have him/her be in awe of the trucks and what is going on:
the roar of the crowd, the packed stands, etc.

Monster trucks can do quite a lot of
stunts. This is called freestyle. Some stunts/tricks are wheelies, jumps, and
slap wheelies/wheel stands. Donovan does a wheel stand for Beth in Seismic
Crimes. It was a fun moment to write.

These stunts are judged by timing,
speed, aggression, height/length/verticality of jumps, and “saves.” If there’s
a tie, it is often broken by a “cheer-off” or a secret “tie-breaking judge.”

TIP:Image you're the
driver or at the show. Show their excitement with their body language and the
things they say and do.

The main thing to remember is to have
fun with this!

QUESTIONS: Have you ever been
to a monster truck show? What was it like? If you could, would you try driving
a monster truck?

MY ANSWER: Okay, so if I’m being
honest I haven’t had many jobs in my life and that’s due to the spine surgery I
had when I was fifteen. I’ve never revealed this before but I am disabled. I'm
not in a wheelchair, but I struggle to do some normal things like sitting and
standing as long as others.

When I was a teen, I
sold Florida Today newspaper subscriptions door-to-door. I was pretty good
because no one could say no to the sweet little girl on their doorstep. I was
also an Avon lady. But neither of those are the best jobs I’ve ever had. My
best job is being a writer, although I hardly get paid for that. It’s my
passion though and that’s what makes it the best. :)

That's all for now! I'm taking a break this Wednesday so I'll be back on Friday with a new reader interview!

I've heard of Monster Trucks, but have never seen one. They could make for an interesting story though.My favorite job is a tie between my teaching years and now my writing. I enjoy both at different times in my life.Have a great week.

It doesn't matter what you get paid if you love what you do. I also love writing and teaching, neither of which will buy me trips to Europe! But, who cares. I am happy, and get up with a spring in my step every day.Play off the Page

Yes, I have been to a monster truck show. It was loud and dirty and I loved it. I have not driven one, but I did drive a jacked up pickup with very large tires and it is really hard to control. So, no thank you. Great post, Chrys.sherry @ fundinmental

I've never been by a monster truck rally, and I'd probably be too nervous to attempt driving one of those things.

I can't really think of a best job I've had, though I really enjoyed being a camp counselor the first summer I worked there. It was fun to be with all the girls instead of only one age group. The next two summers, I was put with the nursery bunk without even requesting that age group, and the second year I worked at the camp, the co-counselor I had the second half of camp was a really bossy, obnoxious, rather unfriendly person. She didn't even seem to like the kids, and didn't know how to treat 3- and 4-year-olds appropriately. At seventeen, she also thought she knew more than I did, like insisting I was wrong about Yemen being in the Middle East, on the Saudi Peninsula. She claimed she'd have to look it up to see if I were right about Yemen NOT being in Africa. I only learnt the maps of the world before she was even born!

Never been to a monster truck show, but since I have problems attending other live show, I don't think I could handle this. I think writing is the best job anyone could have, who loves to do it, but for me, I can't truly embrace it the way I'd like while still needing the paycheck of a day job to pay the bill...I know is a personal hangup I need to get over.

Wow, love the descriptions and images of monster trucks. I haven't ever been to a show. My son went once with our neighbor and their son. Those guys were really into the dirt biking, monster truck thing. Ha. I can't see myself going to one either but ya never know when I may write a super macho male MC like your Donavan. ;) My best job was with a County Parks and Rec Dept. I planned and coordinated programs for kids (mainly arts) during summer. Loved it! I even painted faces and learned that it's not as easy as it looks LOL.

I've never been to a monster truck show, either, but it might be a fun thing to do and then write a satire about it... I am pretty sure I've blogged about going to a opera once and next to the concert hall (Charlotte NC) was the in the arena they had a tractor pull and the traffic was so bad that it took us forever to get there and we were afraid we'd not be seated, but they had held up the show because they didn't have enough musicians!

We never know who it is behind the words, who it is behind the computer. That's what makes being a writer so great, we're all kind of equal, we all get the same chance to succeed or fail simply by how we string words together. A physical disability has little to do with.

I've never been to a monster truck show, though I've watched a couple on TV. I can imagine how noisy and exciting it must be live. Isn't doing research a blast?! :)

When I first started reading your post, I was like "Wait, surely you haven't driven one before with your bad back?" But then you said you hadn't and I laughed. One thing I did see coming though was that writing would be your favourite job. Thanks for sharing :)

Been to a show (years ago) and been for a ride in one over a short cross country course. Apart from the size of the vehicles, the most lasting impression for me is the noise. When they're idling you can't hear the engine at all, then the sound kicks instantly in to a full-blooded ear-splitting rib-tingling roar. You can research some amazing things on the Internet, but there's no substitute for direct experience if you get the chance.

Been to lots of monster truck shows when the kids were younger; eventually invested in great ear plugs to save our hearing :) I think it would be fun to drive a monster truck, only if I was in a big parking lot with nothing on either side of me for many a mile!

The closest I've ever been was watching "Yes, Dear". One of the nephews chewed his ear plugs, thinking they were gum, and was as deaf a post when he got home. I giggled. I'm not sure I should have, but I did. :-)

Having been to at least half a dozen Monster truck events I can attest that it's loud (but not enough to necessitate earplugs), smelly (not near as bad as drag racing), and incredibly thrilling! From the moment a truck lines up to (hopefully) leap across a line of cars or massive mounds of dirt (edge of your seat), while it's airborne (eerie silence) until the landing (often a crash, but now you're standing) you are absolutely captivated! The end. Ha! Actually, the 'boys' still go every chance they get but now that I have in fact attended a few, I can bow out saying "No thanks, been there:-)"

I had an Avon route myself once, Chrys! Sadly my clientele were predominately elderly men without much interest for cosmetics ;-)

I have never been to one of these rally's nor do i have a desire to be there. I have had a desire to be in one of those smash'em up derbys. I wanted to outfit my old car once and go right in there and just smash! It takes money to outfit the cars so you don't get injured though:) Having problems with your back is one of the worst and I am so sorry to hear about this but you seem to have a good way of looking at things even when you have a bad day:) You are entitled! I am glad you can do something you love to do even if there is not much money in it. I hear too many people who hate what they do.

I can walk, but I'm disabled, too. We have so much in common. I've never been to a monster truck thing. Just doesn't interest me, and thank God Willy Dunne Wooters doesn't care about that sort of thing.

You should teach writing. You'd be fantastic at it! Contact local homeschool groups and offer your services. In fact, there is a curriculum that is called the One Year Adventure Novel that teaches creative writing. With your experience and insight, you'd be fabulous. AND you'd only have to do short classes. As much or as little as you want to do.

If you lived by me, I'd pull you into my evil (homeschooling) lair....ha ha.

I've always wanted to go to a Monster Truck show. We even have them here in Milwaukee from time to time but for one reason or another I've never made it. However, I have been to demolition derby quite frequently. They are lots of fun. I believe I've posted pics and a short video to my blog. The video is either there or on my youtube channel. Of course with all the monster truck names being given to denote size and strength, I'd name mine Titanic. You know why. LOL Also, so if I win I can say, "I will sink you" and if I lose I can say, "What do you expect? I'm the titanic." Okay, am I stretching too far with that joke? Seriously though, I probably would.

I'd have to say that being a writer is the best job for me by far as well! I'm learning more about painting and illustrating so hope to include that in to my work scope soon. (As for monster truck shows, I've never been to one though I've seen them, the trucks, on TV once many years ago.)